In a shocking statement, the Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has told Indian Muslims to leave India if they refused to chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai.

Addressing a function, Fadnavis said, “Some people say we will not say Bharat Mata Ki Jai. Then what? Pakistan Ki Jai or China Ki Jai? If you want to live in this country then you have to say Bharat Mata ki Jai, otherwise you have no right to live here.”

Fadnavis’ comments, which are bound to be condemned by many, came a day after the RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi expressed his ‘abhorrence’ to India’s national flag and its national anthem.

Condemning the statements made by Fadnavis, who’s a BJP leader, Chief imam of the All India Imam Organisation, Umer Ahmed Ilyasi on Sunday said that the people on responsible positions should avoid making such statements.

“No one has a right to decide as to who would live in this country or not. If you force certain things on people then it would give rise to hatred. People on such responsible positions should refrain from making such statement,” Ilyasi told ANI.

On Friday, Muslim religious seminary, Darul Uloom had issued Fatwa issuing decree against chanting of Bharat Mata Ki Jai. It had, however, clarified that the fatwa was not binding on Muslims.

Threatening its ideological opponents to leave India has been an established gimmickry by the saffron brigade in India. In the past, several of its motormouth leaders have threatened their opponents to go to Pakistan for criticising the central government on intolerance and beef politics.

Some of its leaders such as Giriraj Singh, who is also a minister in central government, had asked those who did want Modi to become prime minister to leave India and travel to Pakistan.